Egypt’s Complex Election Process to Drag on Until March

-Egyptians began voting on November 28 in the country's first parliamentary elections since pro-democracy protests forced autocratic President Hosni Mubarak from power in February.

-Under rules set by Egypt's interim military rulers, the election process starts with six weeks of staggered voting for the lower house of parliament, known as the People's Assembly, with final results expected on January 13, 2012. The process ends with another six-week period of voting for the upper house, or Shura Council, beginning on January 29 and ending in mid-March.

-Elections for the lower house's 498 seats will be held in three stages, with nine of Egypt's 27 provinces participating in each stage.

-Each stage begins with two days of voting to give people enough time to cast their ballots. In constituencies where no candidate wins an absolute majority in the initial voting, run-off elections will be held a week later, also over two days.

-Each voter will be asked to make three choices on a ballot for the lower house – one for a political grouping, one for a professional candidate and one for a farmer/worker.

-Elections for the Shura Council also will be held in three stages, with Egypt's provinces voting in the same order as for the lower house. The upper house has a consultative role and is less powerful than the lower assembly.

-After the election process is complete, the ruling military council says the parliament will write a new Egyptian constitution. It has not given a timetable for the document to be drafted and approved.

-The military has promised to hold a presidential election by July 2012 to enable it to hand over its presidential powers to an elected civilian leader.

November 28 – 29

1st stage of lower house election in major urban centers of Cairo and Alexandria and seven other provinces. Run-off vote: December 5 – 6.